Animals Teaching Resources
Explore animal life in your science classroom with printable worksheets, classroom posters, and more teaching resources all about the different types of animals, their life cycles, characteristics and more!
This teacher-created collection includes a series of animal-focused teacher resources covering reptiles, birds, fish, mammals, and amphibians plus resources that classify a selection of vertebrates and invertebrates!
This comprehensive collection of teaching resources includes editable curriculum-aligned lessons on wildlife, endangered species and more — all ready to be printed and used in the classroom!
New to teaching this section of the science curriculum or looking for some fresh ideas? Read on for some tips on teaching about animal classification from our teacher team!
What Is Animal Classification? A Kid-Friendly Definition
In science class (and in professional study) animals are classified into groups based on physical and genetic characteristics. Scientists use a classification system called the Linnaean system to group different animals into progressively more specific categories, starting with the largest (and most inclusive group) and ending with the smallest and most specific group.
The categories are:
- Kingdom
- Phylum
- Class
- Order
- Family
- Genus
- Species
Helping students to remember these categories of biological animal classification, you might want to use a mnemonic such as:
- King Philip came over from Germany swimming.
- King Philip came over for good spaghetti.
- King Philip came over for good soup.
Sometimes the word "domain" is added to the top of the animal classification list, and in those cases you can add the word "dear" to your mnemonic sentences to help your students recall them all.
In the Linnaean system, every animal in nature is assigned a unique scientific name. The name includes their genus and species and it's used globally to refer to that animal — so, for example, a dog is a dog, but it's also a "canis lupus familiarise" according to its scientific name.
The animal classification system is used all around the world to help scientists understand the relationships between different animals and how they evolved over time.
Teaching About Animal Classification in Elementary School
How in-depth should your lesson planning be for animal classification? In the elementary grades, learning classifications of animals sets the stage for understanding how important this system is when scientists are studying animals in the natural world.
Consider this: In elementary school, students typically learn about the basic categories of animal classification, such as mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
Your animal classification lessons can extend into learning about specific examples of animals within each category, such as lions and elephants for mammals, and eagles and penguins for birds.
By the time they head off to high school, students should already know the characteristics that define each group — such as the presence of fur or feathers (in birds) or most mammals' ability to give birth to live young. Students should also know about the classification of animals within each group, such as the different types of mammals or birds.
Ready to get started? Explore the resources in this collection!
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Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers PowerPoint
Explore habitat roles, food chains, and the effects of environmental change on ecosystems with an interactive Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers PowerPoint presentation.
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Environmental Impact Experiment Pack
Observe the effects of soil, salinity, sunlight, and temperature on the growth of plants with an engaging Environmental Impact Experiment.
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Carnivores, Herbivores, and Omnivores PowerPoint
Explore types of consumers and how they get their food with an engaging Carnivores, Herbivores, and Omnivores PowerPoint.
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Effects of Habitat Stress Activity Cards
Explore how environmental stress affects plants and animals with our Effects of Habitat Stress Activity Cards.
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All About Decomposers Activity Deck - Digital Interactive Notebook
Research and explore decomposers and their roles in ecosystems with a Digital All About Decomposers Activity Slide Deck.
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Cane Toads - Invasive Species Worksheet Pack
Explore the effects of introduced predators with our printable Cane Toads - Invasive Species Worksheet Pack.
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Insect Infestation - Habitat Impact Worksheet
Explore the effects of rapid insect population growth in ecosystems with our Insect Infestation Habitat Impact Worksheet.
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Metamorphic vs. Non-Metamorphic Life Cycles Worksheet - Cut and Paste
Identify animals with metamorphic life cycles using a cut and paste Metamorphic vs. Non-Metamorphic Life Cycles Worksheet.
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Odd One Out - Animal Classification Handouts (Life Cycles)
Explore non-metamorphic and metamorphic life cycles with our printable ‘Odd One Out’ Animal Classification Handouts.
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Metamorphic or Not? Worksheets
Draw, write, and compare animal life cycles with our printable “Metamorphic or Not?” Worksheets.
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Just Like My Parent - Adult vs. Baby Animal Worksheets
Compare animals and humans with their young with our ‘Just Like My Parent’ Adult vs. Baby Animal Worksheets.
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Comparing Baby vs. Adult Features Worksheet
Compare human adults and their babies with a printable Adult vs. Baby Comparison Worksheet.
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Animals and Their Young - Spot the Difference Game
Observe and identify the differences between adult and baby animals with an engaging Spot the Difference Game for the classroom.
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Investigating Food Chain Disruptions Worksheet Pack
Explore what happens when a food source is removed from an ecosystem with our Investigating Food Chain Disruptions Worksheet Pack.
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Comparing Food Chains Across Habitats Worksheet Pack
Compare and contrast different habitats and how energy flows through them with our Comparing Food Chains Across Habitats Worksheet Pack.
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Honeybees vs. Environmental Change Worksheet Pack
Explore the effects of environmental change on honeybee populations with a set of printable Environmental Changes Worksheets.
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Where Do We Belong? Humans in Food Chains Worksheet
Explain the human role in the web of life with a printable Humans in Food Chains Worksheet.
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All About Cats - 1st Grade Reading Comprehension Passage
Explore informational text and learn all about cats and their external features with a printable 1st grade reading comprehension passage.
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Habitat Roles Foldable Templates
Explore habitat roles including producers, consumers, and decomposers with our printable Habitat Roles Foldable Templates.
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Metamorphic or Not? Life Cycle Sorting Activity
Identify animals with metamorphic and non-metamorphic life cycles with an engaging Life Cycle Sorting Activity.
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Kangaroo Life Cycle Worksheets
Explore and sequence the life cycle of a kangaroo with printable Kangaroo Life Cycle Worksheets.
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Build a Food Chain Worksheet Pack
Explore and build 3, 4, and 6 link food chains with our Build-a-Food-Chain Worksheet Pack.
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Wild Wonders! Nature Observation Activity Book
Explore and observe the natural world with our Wild Wonders Nature Observation Activity Book.
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Interactive Plant and Animal Sorting Game - External Features
Observe, sort, and group living things based on external features with an Interactive Plant and Animal Sorting Game.
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What’s for Dinner? Carnivore, Herbivore, Omnivore Game
Play ‘What’s for Dinner’, a Carnivore, Herbivore, or Omnivore game to explore animal teeth and eating habits.
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How Animals Move PowerPoint Presentation
Observe, describe and categorise the ways in which living things move with an interactive ‘How Animals Move’ PowerPoint slide deck.
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Does It Lay Eggs? Classifying Animals Game
Use our Does It Lay Eggs? Classifying Animals Game to identify examples of oviparous and viviparous animals.
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Dinosaur Educational Poster and Fact Card Pack
Use our printable Dinosaur Educational Poster and Fact Card pack to introduce your students to the world of dinosaurs and dinosaur facts.
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Sorting Animals Worksheet Pack - External Features
Observe and classify animals based on their external features with a Sorting Animals Worksheet Pack.
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Movement of Animals Worksheets - Cut and Paste
Cut and sort to show how different animals move with our Movement of Animals Worksheets.
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Cut & Compare Animals Worksheet Pack - Ways Animals Move
Use our Cut and Compare Animals Worksheet Pack to help your students practice scientific classification and explore ways that animals move.
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How Do Animals Move Worksheet Pack
Color, sort, and categorize how animals get around with a set of ‘How Animals Do Animals Move’ Worksheet Pack